By the time Huo Wujiu brought Jiang Suizhou back, it was already late at night.
He still entered through the back window and sent Jiang Suizhou back to his room. After Jiang Suizhou had changed his clothes, Huo Wujiu openly went out from Jiang Suizhou’s room again.
Meng Qianshan, who was guarding at the door, discovered that Madam Huo was looking radiant in his wheelchair. For a moment, he was about to speak but bit his tongue instead.
Huo Wujiu, on the other hand, didn’t even spare him a glance. With something resting on his lap, he rocked his wheelchair and drifted away.
Meng Qianshan couldn’t help but stare at Madam Huo’s back.
The General was different from ordinary people. His legs were obviously crippled, but despite sitting on a wheelchair, he gave off the feeling that he could walk as if on wings.
Meng Qianshan stared for a while, shook his head, and went into the room to serve his master.
In Huo Wujiu’s room, Wei Kai was like an ant on a hot pot, anxiously spinning.
Others might not know what those two had done, but he was in the know. Because of this knowledge, he knew how dangerous it was for their General to go out, which was no less than wandering under the eyes of the ruler of Southern Jing.
Hence, the later it was, the more flustered Wei Kai became.
Fortunately, the door opened on the second night watch, and the sound of a wheelchair sounded from the door.
Wei Kai felt like he had walked through the gates of hell. How stimulating.
“General, how are you?” When the door was closed, he asked this right away.
Huo Wujiu raised his hand and tossed a light coin bag into his hand.
The purse was more than half empty, and only a few pieces of silver were left at the bottom of the coin bag. When he poured them out into his palm, they jingled down emptily.
Wei Kai hid all the heartache in his eyes.
Forget it, forget it… Although the money here was his hard-earned savings when he was wandering about destitute in Southern Jing, his General had never been short of money since childhood, let alone the spare money at hand. Spend it all, spend it all…
However, he couldn’t help asking, “Did you buy something?”
After he asked, he raised his head and looked toward Huo Wujiu.
Huo Wujiu got up from the wheelchair and sat down beside him. He was playing with a big object in his hand, like a mask.
His master held it under the lamp, his eyes downcast as he examined it. The light brightened the smile in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth, which had always been downward, curled up on one side. The smile was so faint that it could hardly be seen, but when it surfaced on Huo Wujiu’s face, the smile looked particularly dazzling.
“Yeah, I did,” Huo Wujiu replied casually. After speaking, he raised the object in his hand and showed it to Wei Kai.
“Jingwang gave it to me. Does it look nice?”
Wei Kai swallowed his saliva, unable to find his voice for a spell.
…Humph, not one bit!
So a fortune was exchanged for this? Whatever the cost, the rough-crafted mask depicted a fierce beast with a bloody mouth. The fierce beast, named Tao Wu, was a legendary evil beast in the Book of Supernatural Beings. It was a slow-witted, arrogant and cruel monster that always thrashed wildly through heavenly paths. It was used by the people to ward off evil spirits, much like fighting poison with poison.
How could their General be pleased with such a thing!
Wei Kai stared at the mask and could not say anything for a while, which made Huo Wujiu dissatisfied.
He frowned and questioned unceremoniously, “Are you deaf?”
Wei Kai met the General’s gaze, which hinted at an unkind spark, and temporarily resigned himself to his fate.
Forget it. Although he never went to school, he still knew when to point to a deer and call it a horse. Now that the tyrant was in front, even if this young lord was infected by that stupid and fierce beast and turned into a mallet, he had to agree with him.
“… It’s beautiful.” His words were against his will, but he reluctantly agreed under the coercion of the mighty.
Fortunately, Wei Kai didn’t suffer a big loss.
After that day, he received monetary rewards from Jingwang’s room under various grounds. The amount was more than several times greater than what he had lost to Huo Wujiu.
Although Wei Kai was also a man who would never bend over for five buckets of rice, he still clutched the money that Jingwang returned and looked at the General, who was putting away the cheap mask as if it were a precious item. He could not help but feel that Jingwang was more human than the General.
After that day also, Jiang Suizhou ended his sick leave.
He had long recovered, but he lingered in the residence for two more days, until the day of the Grand Court Assembly. He knew he could not relax at this juncture even if he wanted to loaf on his job. After all, at the hunting ground on that day, he really gave Pang Shao a devastating blow.
Sure enough, the atmosphere in the courtroom was quite strained today.
The Hou Zhu had never been a person who could hide his thoughts. Today, he showed his indifference to and rejection of Pang Shao for all to see. Presently, most of the people in the courtroom were Pang Shao’s henchmen. Pang Shao was frustrated, so these people were shaking in their boots. All throughout the morning, the courtroom took on a particular atmosphere because of this.
However, from the looks on the Hou Zhu’s face, Jiang Suizhou also figured that he was merely angry at Pang Shao.
He had read historical records carefully over and over and knew that the Hou Zhu and Emperor Jingling were in a hostile relationship. Emperor Jingling favored the original owner’s biological mother, while the mother of the Hou Zhu, the current Empress Dowager Pang, was the long neglected consort of Emperor Jingling. It was written in history books that the Hou Zhu barely saw the Emperor when he was young. He didn’t even recognize who his father was until he was around five years old.
Afterward, to coax him, Pang Shao got incomparably close to him and spoiled him.
Hence, even if neither of them was aware of it, Jiang Suizhou was well aware that Pang Shao had filled the vacancy of a father for the Hou Zhu. For this reason, even after such a huge turmoil, in the Hou Zhu’s heart, he still couldn’t renounce Pang Shao.
Even if he wanted to punish him, he would never kill him for that day.
There was no emperor or Pang Shao, no torched-eyed servants, and no Huo Wujiu. He felt that the air in the Ministry of Rites was very fresh.
So much so that he was in a very good mood. When it was time to leave, he stopped to exchange pleasantries with Ji You when passing by his table.
“Lord Ji, what are you looking at?” He looked at the book in Ji You’s hand and asked.
Ji You looked up and saw that it was Jiang Suizhou. Ji You smiled and passed the book over to him: “It’s just some unofficial history without basis. It’s just to kill time.”
Jiang Suizhou took the book and flipped through it roughly, and indeed he was right.
Not only was it unofficial history, but it was also extremely boldly written unofficial history. It was almost like a written script with the same surname and name of the former emperor.
Jiang Suizhou flashed a bland smile, handed the book back to Ji You, and said with a smile, “The content is interesting.”
Ji You smiled and raised his eyebrows in surprise: “Is Your Highness also interested in this?”
The literati in this world have always been more sanctimonious. History books written in biographical style were orthodox, so privately compiled history like this with flourishing imagination was for the commoner’s amusement. The ordinary literati and aristocrats scorned them.
Jiang Suizhou shook his head.
He muttered inwardly: Of course I’m not interested in unofficial history, but you wouldn’t believe me even if I told you. I’m standing here and talking to you because I’m currently suffering for looking down on unofficial history.
…Of course, you yourself may be living in unofficial history.
These kinds of words could only be said to himself and naturally couldn’t be voiced out. Jiang Suizhou smiled gently and said, “I’m not interested. But history books are always written by people, and the later generations will comment on them, so who knows who is telling the truth and who is telling lies?”
He saw Ji You’s eyes light up when he heard his words. His eyes twinkled with a glow of seeing a confidant.
Jiang Suizhou hurriedly nodded to him in farewell, and then turned around and left.
Jiang Suizhou thought he couldn’t afford such a high opinion from the Minister. After all, he could say such things, all thanks to a student who pitted him into an unofficial history.
Jiang Suizhou left the Ministry of Rites, got into the carriage, and returned to the King Jing Mansion.
Once he entered Anyin Hall, he saw people coming and going. Meng Qianshan happened to send two tailors out with cloth in their arms. Seeing that Jiang Suizhou had returned home, Meng Qianshan quickly welcomed him.
“Your Highness!” Meng Qianshan approached him grinning from ear to ear. “I’ve already brought Madam Huo here for you, and I’ve just asked the tailors to sew clothes for him. Tomorrow, the craftsman will come. I think his wheelchair is shoddy, so it should be replaced.”
Jiang Suizhou looked at him with some confusion.
…I haven’t said anything yet. Why is this kid so enthusiastic about Huo Wujiu?
But Meng Qianshan’s eyes sparkled at him, as if waiting for his praise.
Jiang Suizhou paused: “…Hmm, not bad.”
Meng Qianshan was instantly happy.
Jiang Suizhou felt blindsided by his silliness. He turned around and walked towards his room.
He walked at a relaxed pace as he tugged off his cloak that was in the way. Just as he stepped into the threshold, he suddenly remembered something. He was about to turn around to ask which room Huo Wujiu had been assigned to, when the man himself entered into his vision.
The man was sitting in a wheelchair surrounded by elegance and luxury, which made him seem particularly out of place.
Jiang Suizhou stopped undressing.
…Huo Wujiu.
How could Huo Wujiu be in his room?!
He froze in place, and after a moment, abruptly turned around and stormed off.
He bumped into an ambiguous and joyful Meng Qianshan. His face was brimming with reserved smiles, waiting for his compliments.
Jiang Suizhou gritted his teeth.
…Praise you? I wish I could beat you up.
“Master?” Seeing Jiang Suizhou staring at him, Meng Qianshan smiled, waiting for him to speak.
Jiang Suizhou paused for a moment and whispered, “…Is this what you arranged?”
Meng Qianshan froze, and then it dawned on him.
“Ah, yes! Look at me, I forgot. Madam Huo came here, but there is no one to serve him yet!” He said. “I expelled the two maids from the mansion who were originally arranged for him. Currently, there’s only a young manservant left, but he seems to be honest. Your Highness, you see…”
Meng Qianshan halted there, waiting for Jiang Suizhou’s instructions.
Jiang Suizhou was livid.
Who asked you this! I am asking you why Huo Wujiu is living in my room!
Is it possible that no other place is habitable in such a huge courtyard?!
When the words reached his mouth, he moved his lips, but no words came out.
The door was wide open, and Huo Wujiu was inside, so he could definitely hear whatever he would say.
If Jiang Suizhou brought him here and then kicked him out, wouldn’t he offend him again?
…I originally made this decision thinking that it could reduce the difficulty a little, but I didn’t expect this foolish Meng Qianshan to lift it to a hellish level.
Jiang Suizhou gritted his teeth, glared fiercely at Meng Qianshan, and swallowed the words at the edge of his mouth.
“There’s one left?” He picked up where Meng Qianshan left off and said, “Where is he? I want to go see him.”
Meng Qianshan smiled and hurriedly led him down the steps.
The people in the courtyard were busy, and the manservant was moving things with others. Beads of sweat reflecting the light in the sun dripped down his forehead from over exertion.
When he saw Jiang Suizhou coming, he hurriedly put down his things and bowed to him.
Jiang Suizhou stopped in his tracks and remembered something else.
He surmised that the reason Huo Wujiu was able to escape from here after three years was definitely because an insider was coordinating with the outside. However, the original owner would have never provided him with this opportunity, which was why it dragged on for three full years.
But…what if Jiang Suizhou helped him?
Wouldn’t that be a big favor to him and save himself from having to deal with Pang Shao’s group for another two years?
He pondered for a moment and said to the young manservant, “Come with me.”
This was to give him some private instructions.
The manservant hurriedly followed, and Meng Qianshan had the good sense to stay where he was.
Unbeknownst to everyone, a pair of pitch-black eyes fell on Jiang Suizhou’s back through the gap in the window pane.
He watched as Jiang Suizhou sought out his sidekick and took him to the side to talk alone.
As a King, what could he say to a young manservant?
It was definitely to ask him to do something. Huo Wujiu was well aware that the servant, apart from spying on him, couldn’t do anything else.
Why exactly did he suddenly move him to his residence?…The answer seemed self-explanatory.
He was in the most heavily guarded place in the King’s residence.
As for why he was living in the main house…the look of surprise in King Jing’s eyes alone when he came in just now told him that his men had made the wrong arrangements.
Huo Wujiu prided himself on his calmness, never letting petty gains affect his reason, let alone losing judgment because his opponent was showing him a bit of goodwill.
His face was expressionless and his gaze cold and bland, as he quietly watched the man’s every move outside the window.
He rested his hand on his wheelchair, and his fingertips tapped on the armrest twice with some annoyance.
